Unwanted
by Arigatomina
Summary: Yaoi, KuramaHiei, see warnings. Independent sidefic to Gmen. After a childhood of abuse, Hiei has learned to embrace his mutant powers. When he saves a young plantwielder, he gains a companion willing to help him find his sister.
1. Default Chapter

Author's Notes: This fic takes place before my GW/YYH fic 'G-men' to show Hiei's history as a mutant. This will also explain how Hiei and Kurama met, as well as why Hiei and Yukina have such an odd (even for them) relationship in the latter part of that fic. For strictly YYH fans, there's no need to read the other fic in order to follow this one. There will be a later inclusion of a few Gundam Wing characters in the last few parts, but mostly it's YYH. As with G-men, this fic is a fusion of YYH and the original X-men animated series.  
Category: Anime, Yu Yu Hakusho, Yaoi, AU (Alternate Universe)  
Warnings: angst, child abuse, violence, possible sap  
Pairings: Hiei+Yukina/Y+H (not sexual), will be KuramaxHiei  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatomina@hotmail.com  
Website/Complete Archive: http://www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Unwanted  
  
Part 1  
  
They were found nearly four years before the first outbreak of mutants would cause chaos in the states, but the two children caused a sensation regardless. It was the evidence of their having sustained themselves for months before the first marshal stumbled onto the location that made people spread the story. Seven trailers were found on a lot in the southern part of Illinois, seemingly abandoned some time ago. Ironically enough, the authorities had been called in because the tenants failed to pay their rent. The marshal expected to have a long discussion concerning court orders and late fees. He never expected to find himself facing the blunt end of a long rifle. Being addressed in a foreign tongue from behind the curtain on the other side of the weapon was something he'd expected even less. But nothing surprised him more than when, after calling in three cars as reinforcement, he saw the gunman.  
  
They estimated him to have been no more that five years old, and even after interpreters were called in, they never determined his true age. There was simply no identification left within the abandoned trailers, and the children didn't remember their parents' names. They didn't remember much of anything. The two-hour standoff revealed the rifle to be unloaded, with a broken barrel. The five-hour interrogation, done by the local welfare workers, revealed the children to be runaways, and twins. The group they'd been with was never found, and neither of the siblings would tell why they'd hidden during the evacuation. It was never learned why the group left, but the half-filled cabinets in the trailers spoke of a hurried flight from something. The cabinets also explained how the children had managed to survive by themselves for so long.  
  
The investigation into the disappearance of a group estimated to have included at least forty people turned up nothing. Within a month the children were placed in a foster home not far from the county they'd been found in. Three years later, they were once more the focus of media attention. The scandal and mystery of that incident overshadowed even their strange origin.  
  
That first year was the hardest on both of them, especially since the so-called family included three other foster children, and not one spoke Japanese. Picking up English was easier for Hiei, but it was the girl who spoke for the pair. Sweet and bright-eyed, Yukina quickly became something of a favorite for the two other girls living in the crowded house. Even the temperamental Austin, the oldest teen, had a soft spot for the gentle girl. And amid the attention, Hiei gradually found a place for himself on the sidelines. Their lives were limited to the house since they were too young to accompany the others to school. But things fell into a routine, and slowly, they grew more comfortable. They still slept together, ignoring the rules that placed Yukina with the other two girls. Austin kept their secret. It was at the end of their second year that things changed.   
  
The two older girls went first, leaving the downstairs bedroom empty except for Yukina. And for a while, it seemed like a good thing. His sister missed the two, but Hiei was aware that their attention had been shifting toward the smaller girl. What had once seemed honest interest had turned into light teasing, small things that made the boy want to jerk Yukina away from them. There was something about the way they touched the girl's pale blue hair that told him not to trust the two alone with her. He'd seen them playing with scissors enough to know their eyes took on a different spark when Yukina was around. He didn't know enough to recognize the emotion as jealousy, but he knew he didn't like them. If his sister hadn't been so upset to see them leave, he would have been glad. And with them gone, he wouldn't have to worry so much about sneaking Yukina upstairs at night. He'd started to wonder how long it would be before the two older females told on them. Austin's control as the oldest child in the house was the only thing that kept them from it. Once they were gone, it was just the three of them, and Hiei unofficially moved into the empty room.  
  
The first few nights passed uneventfully, with Hiei on the bunk above his sister. It wasn't the physical contact that had made them break the household rules in order to sleep together so much as the need for nearness. They didn't remember much of their past, but both felt the wrongness when they were apart. Yukina had been the one to creep upstairs that first night, and Hiei had been wide-awake, unable to sleep without her. His restless turnings had kept Austin up for hours, making the older boy relieved when the girl showed up simply because it let him sleep. The teen was just as happy to see them in the downstairs room, though he warned them they'd be in trouble if the adults learned of their nightly routine. Hiei never thought much about the warnings despite Austin's sincere tone. Aside from feeding them, and washing Yukina's hair at night, they rarely saw the woman. And the man worked all day, only speaking when he sent them off to bed in the evenings. As far as Hiei was concerned, without the girls the only difference between the house and the trailer they'd lived in was that he wasn't allowed in certain rooms.  
  
The downstairs bedroom was larger than the one he'd shared with Austin, and Hiei found himself staring out the window next to the bed before falling asleep at night. They weren't allowed outside very often, but it was quiet out there, no houses in sight. He knew there were other people not too far away, since the girls and Austin were picked up for school each morning. He'd looked out the living room window more than once and seen the crowded bus that stopped at the edge of the long gravel drive. Austin had told him he and Yukina would be riding it in another year, and it wasn't something he looked forward to. They'd learned enough of the language to communicate, though he didn't talk much himself, but he didn't like the idea of being around so many people. The faces that looked out the bus's windows were shadowed. They looked more like grinning animals than kids. It reminded him of the way the girls had stared at him during their first year. Austin swore they were smiling, but Hiei never saw people bare their teeth that way until the strangers had taken them from the trailer. Unlike Yukina, he wasn't willing to believe everything he was told.  
  
A bright moon lit through the curtain the night they were caught, illuminating both of their figures well enough that the person in the doorway didn't even have to turn on the light. The parents had never checked on them before that, but Hiei woke the instant the doorknob turned. His eyes snapped open at the quiet sound, and he nearly fell off the bed, catching his balance on the edge and waking Yukina in the process. Her soft voice called up to him, groggy with sleep. The light flicked on immediately, a sharp curse meeting Hiei's ears as he rubbed his eyes. He didn't understand the words, but he recognized the tone as one he'd heard somewhere before. Though he woke quickly enough, his eyes didn't adjust in time. He was pulled off the top bed so suddenly that he flailed in surprise, striking a blow on the man's face. Pain answered that, blazing across his cheek and he let out a sharp cry. Yukina echoed it, and he glared as he got back to his feet. The man caught his wrist and drug him toward the doorway.   
  
Pulling against the hold, Hiei caught a glimpse of Yukina's wide eyes. The girl was curled on her bed, pressed to the wall, but it was her expression that did it. She looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Something inside Hiei snapped, and he kicked the man's leg, twisting in his grasp. "Hanase! Kisama!"  
  
"Hiei!"  
  
The man grumbled something in a low voice, but it turned into a shout when sharp teeth closed over his hand. "You little bastard!" Jerking back, he stared at the black-haired boy, glazed eyes narrowing sharply. Hiei bared his teeth, his shoulders hunched as he clenched his small hands into fists. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You know the fucking rules!"  
  
A hand caught the shoulder of his shirt, and Hiei clawed at the man as he was lifted off his feet and mostly carried to the door. His blood pounded in his ears when Yukina whimpered behind him, but he couldn't seem to hit hard enough to actually hurt the man. It only took a second to get him out of the room, the man slamming the door. The hallway light was on and Hiei stilled a bit when he saw the woman come out of her room. She frowned at him from the doorway, and the man lowered him so his feet touched the carpet.  
  
"What's going on?" the woman asked, rubbing a hand over her temple.  
  
"What does it look like?" the man growled, giving Hiei a shake. "He snuck downstairs." Red eyes glared up at him, and he glared back at them. "And I bet this wasn't the first time either, was it." Hiei bared his teeth and he clenched his bitten hand, face turning a mottled red.  
  
Groaning, the woman leaned against the doorway. "He didn't hurt anything. Just take him back upstairs. Hiei, you know you're not supposed to move around after bedtime." She expected a sharp nod, what she usually got when she talked to the boy, and she blinked when he turned his glare on her. The stubborn expression added to her irritation at being woken and she frowned back at the boy, her tone dropping. "Hiei."  
  
"I'll take him up," the man said, his voice calmer. "Go back to bed."  
  
Hiei didn't bother to watch as she went back into her room. His eyes were on the closed door, listening for any sound from Yukina. She must have heard what they'd said, he was sure of it. He had broken the rules, but the moment he was taken back to his room he planned to go right back down again. The man caught his wrist, but Hiei didn't struggle this time, walking quickly to keep from being drug as he was taken to the stairs. He wasn't tall enough to keep up. His feet left the floor and he fell over the first step, a low growl breaking the silence. The next thing he knew a hand was over his mouth and he was lifted, the man not breaking stride. He tried to bite, but the grip was too tight. They reached his and Austin's room, the man pausing outside of it. Hiei kicked wildly, his nose covered nearly as much as his mouth, and he barely noticed when the man caught his right hand and pulled it over his head. The next thing he knew a crushing pain closed over his arm, just above the wrist.   
  
The boy's cry was smothered, and the man waited for a moment, clenching his teeth. Hiei sagged when he finally let the arm go, and he grunted. "Hurts when you get bitten, doesn't it. Fucking kid." He heard Austin shift when he opened the door, but didn't look at him. Tossing the black-haired boy inside, he glared. "Don't let me catch you down there again."  
  
The floor hit him hard, and Hiei rolled a bit before stopping himself. His eyes were burning, but he managed to turn a hot glare on the door just as it was closed behind him. Austin whispered to him, the older boy crouching beside him in the dark. Hiei flinched away when a light hand fell on his shoulder. His arm was pulsing with pain, and he gasped, holding his breath to keep from groaning aloud. It wasn't fair. He knew he hadn't bitten nearly so hard as that. If he had, then the man wouldn't have been able to pick him up like he had. Closing his eyes tight, he grabbed his wrist as if that might stop the throbbing. That hand touched him again, and he ducked away. He stumbled a bit as he gained his feet.  
  
"What are you doing?" Austin whispered, grabbing Hiei's shoulder when the smaller boy lurched toward the door. "He'll hurt you if you go down there again. Didn't you see him? He's drunk."  
  
"Nani?" Hiei glared back at the older boy, wincing away from him. "What?"  
  
"Drunk," Austin repeated, moving between Hiei and the door. "You don't want to mess with him when he drinks. Just stay here tonight." The boy's glare was visible even in the dark, and Austin sighed, pushing Hiei toward the bed. "At least wait until he falls asleep. If you get him mad enough, he'll send you away. And Pearl likes Yukina. They'd keep her and you'd never see her again." The little boy's eyes widened with horror and outrage, and Austin pushed harder, directing him to his bed. "You two are lucky you've been kept together this long."  
  
Hiei's instinct was to ignore that threat. No one could separate him and Yukina. They belonged together. Even the strangers before they came to the house had said they wouldn't be separated. But his arm hurt too badly to ignore Austin's warning as he had the last one. He didn't know what the man had been drinking to make him drunk, but it obviously changed things. He'd have to be more careful. And the first thing he needed to do was make sure Yukina didn't try sneaking upstairs. If they were going to get punished for breaking the rules, he had to make sure the adults thought it completely his fault. Austin pushed him onto the double bed, neatly blocking him in against the wall, but Hiei didn't say anything in complaint. Maybe going back downstairs tonight wasn't such a good idea.  
  
He didn't sleep at all that night, but he didn't move either. By the time Austin's alarm went off, he was more than ready to get out of the bed. The older boy had pressed him so close to the wall his left arm was nearly numb from lying on his side. Hiei didn't say anything about that since he knew the boy had done it on purpose. He really did seem worried about him and what might have happened if he'd snuck back down again.  
  
There were two bathrooms in the house, the one upstairs being used mostly by the two boys. Hiei dressed in their room when Austin went to take a shower. His right arm was swollen so much that Hiei found himself staring at the dark color. He was still sitting on the floor by the time the other boy came back for his school stuff, and Hiei ignored him. At least, he tried to ignore him. Austin took one look at him and groaned, tossing him one of his own, larger shirts. Hiei frowned at it but pulled it on. That was the extent of their conversation, but Hiei followed Austin downstairs. He was eager to see Yukina. He was sure his sister hadn't slept any more than he had after last night.  
  
The man was gone that morning, having left as early for work as he always did, but the woman was nearly as bad. Hiei hadn't expected to be punished any more. His arm still hurt, and he was sure it would hurt for days. That should have been enough. But she must not have agreed. He had one glimpse of Yukina's wide red eyes before he was directed into the corner in the small living room. The woman Austin called Pearl told him to stay there for the day and think about what he'd done. His sister tried to join him in the punishment, but Pearl wouldn't hear of it. In the end, Hiei found himself sitting on the floor staring at the corner of the faded cream-colored wall. The woman kept Yukina in the kitchen with her the rest of the day, and though he could feel his sister's eyes on him, Hiei didn't look back. It wasn't a difficult punishment, and after a while he decided he could get used to something so simple. It was a good thing, too, because it turned out he would be sitting in the corner a lot during the next year.  
  
Austin later explained to him that Pearl was something called 'old school,' which meant she didn't believe it was right to punish children through violence. If she didn't want to deal with a child, then she simply didn't deal with him. Hiei gradually grew accustomed to this. It didn't happen over night, but as the days went by, he found himself being sent away from the room more and more often. Most of the time he had no idea what he'd done wrong. The woman seemed to have decided he was a bad child. Either that, or the man was telling her things that weren't true. From what Austin told him, Hiei thought it was probably the second thing. That was what he got for fighting back when the man was drunk. Hiei still didn't know exactly what drunk meant, but he learned within a few weeks. Drunk meant the man woke the entire house nightly, yelling at one thing or another. It meant Pearl took her anger out on him in the daytime. And it meant Hiei didn't dare sneak downstairs at night or he'd be putting Yukina in danger as much as himself. And it meant something else that took longer for Hiei to learn. Drunk meant Austin was leaving.  
  
It didn't happen over night, but Hiei noticed the change in the boy as weeks went by. Austin had been a light sleeper for as long as Hiei could remember. The older boy tensed when loud noises echoed from the adults' room in the hall below them. He had nightmares that were sometimes so bad Hiei would leave the bed to sit on the floor and watch him toss around and twist in the blankets. The teen began to change after a while. Hiei didn't ask, but he could tell Austin was worried. The boy's eyes had gotten strange. They flicked all over the place, as if he could see things that Hiei couldn't. Two months after Hiei had ceased going to Yukina's room, a stranger came into the house and Austin finally told him what was wrong. The boy was leaving. He didn't want to go. He told Hiei that, but he couldn't stay in the house with a drunk. Hiei didn't need to ask why. The teen hadn't been sleeping well for so long that his eyes had shadows around them.  
  
A hug signified Austin's departure, and it was something that would bother Hiei for a long time after. The boy had packed his things, that stranger waiting in the doorway of their bedroom. Hiei watched from his spot on the floor, taking in the teen's edgy movements. And then Austin crouched next to him and grabbed him in a tight embrace. It didn't hurt, but Hiei pushed against it and was relieved when the stronger boy finally let him go. When he looked up the older boy's eyes were wet and bright. Austin apologized while Hiei stared at him in suspicious confusion. Then the boy was gone. He never saw him again. But he did wonder for years after that if he hadn't been wrong about Austin. Hiei had thought Yukina was the reason the boy had kept their secret when the girls were still in the house. Everyone liked his sister. But that tight embrace made him wonder if he hadn't had something to do with it as well. He thought about that a lot as he grew older, and he eventually came to the conclusion that the boy had been his first friend. At the time, though, he didn't have an opportunity to dwell on the idea. Austin's departure signified a change in the house, and for Hiei it was a definite change for the worse.  
  
The first night after the boy left, Hiei couldn't sleep at all. He'd done better since those early nights of being crushed to the wall by Austin. He had learned to doze off, weaving in and out of sleep rather than staring blankly at the ceiling and worrying about the girl downstairs. But once he was alone in the room, Hiei had a relapse. Every time he closed his eyes, he thought he heard things outside his room. Once, he was so certain Yukina was scratching on his door that he had to check the hall. There was never anything there. After a few nights, he finally broke down and abandoned the room. The house was arranged so the upstairs bathroom lay directly over his sister's room. If he wasn't allowed downstairs, at least he could rest as close to her as possible. And he found that when he lay on the cool linoleum, he could almost hear the soft breathing directly beneath him.   
  
His move went unnoticed for weeks. He was careful not to bring anything with him, not needing a blanket, and he thought if the woman came up to wake him and found him in the bathroom, she would have no idea he'd been sleeping in there. He would berate himself later for not realizing she wasn't the one he had to worry about.  
  
It was the sound of a door being opened that woke him, and Hiei knew immediately that it wasn't morning. The bathroom was dark, and he stared at the doorknob as if he could keep it from turning. He should have left the light on. That thought ran through his mind, but he knew it was far too late. He was frozen, still sitting on the floor when the man opened the door. The light hurt his eyes, but Hiei didn't move to shield it. He didn't know what to say, and he jumped in surprise when the man shut the door behind him, the bathroom suddenly seeming much smaller. The adult leaned against the door, scowling down at him.  
  
The boy's odd red eyes were wide, but the man could see the stubborn tilt to his head. Keeping his voice low, he kicked at Hiei, making the boy jerk back and climb to his feet. "Were you trying to hide?" Hiei frowned at him, and the silent lack of fear made him curl the hand the boy had bitten not too long ago. "You were on your way downstairs," he drawled, "weren't you. Did you really think you could hide in here and I wouldn't catch you?"  
  
A tiny voice that would one day guide Hiei's decisions told him to keep quiet, but he didn't listen. Folding his arms over his chest, Hiei glared. "I wasn't hiding. And I wasn't going downstairs." The little voice of reason cringed inside him, and Hiei's shoulders tensed, his back against the wall. The man had shoved away from the door to tower over him. His right arm ached, a lingering memory of the old pain, and Hiei's calm voice rose a bit. "I didn't do anything wrong!"  
  
"Liar," the man spat, his bloodshot eyes glaring down at the boy. "What do I have to do? Lock you in your fucking room?" Hiei flinched when he reached for him, but he caught a hand in the boy's thick black hair. His voice dropped, and he crouched, holding that hair in case the boy tried to look away. "Hiding I can forgive," he said, "but lying is another matter."  
  
"I didn't lie!" The moment the words left his mouth, Hiei regretted it. He remembered Austin's warning about fighting a drunk, and he abruptly realized that arguing with one was the same as biting one. A strong hand gripped his chin, squeezing so hard that his eyes hurt, and he clenched his hands to keep himself from struggling. He was sure if he hit the man he'd be hit in return, and the man would hit much harder than he could. As it turned out, he didn't have time to take back his words.  
  
Dragging the boy over to the bathtub, the man let out a quiet laugh. "A biter and a liar." Small hands pulled at his arm, but he paid no mind. There was a small white bar of soap on the edge of the tub, and he snatched it up. Hiei's eyes widened, but the boy wasn't strong enough to stop him from prying his mouth open and shoving the soap onto his tongue. Reflexes nearly got it out, but he was faster. His hands closed on Hiei's head, holding his mouth shut and tilting his face over the edge of the tub. The boy kicked at him, hands clawing at the black sleeve of his suit, but he could see Hiei's throat moving as he gagged.  
  
The taste was killing him. His stomach rebelled as his tongue smashed the bar of soap tight in his mouth, and Hiei thrashed against the hold. He was going to throw up and he knew he'd either choke on it or swallow the bar. He couldn't breathe. His nose burned, and he could feel dampness trailing down his cheeks. The palm beneath his chin disappeared suddenly, and he gagged, spitting the bar into the tub. He barely noticed when the man turned on the water, his hands holding tight to the edge of the tub. He nearly fell when his mouth was pushed toward the running water, but he didn't resist. The taste was never going to leave.  
  
The man stood as Hiei retched, wiping his hands on the towel and straightening his coat. The boy didn't seem to notice, so he kicked those curled legs, tossing the towel at him when blurry red eyes turned to him. "Clean this up and get back to bed." The boy was shivering, but those red eyes narrowed, just enough for him to glare. "Next time you fucking lie to me, I'll use dish liquid."  
  
Hiei didn't move until the man closed the door behind him, and his attempted glare fell away. He nearly lunged over the tub, moving his mouth so the water poured onto his coated tongue. He could still taste it, and the nasty flavor made his stomach churn. He didn't know what was different about the soap used for dishes, but he had no plan to find out. Ten more minutes lapsed before he gave up and cleaned the tub. The small footstool had gotten shoved under the sink in the scuffle, and Hiei pulled it out. After scrubbing his mouth with toothpaste, he finally left the bathroom to stumble to his bedroom. He spent the rest of the night curled close to the window at the foot of his bed. And he spent the next day in the corner of the living room as punishment for whatever the man told Pearl he'd done wrong.  
  
He was so used to spending his days staring at the wall, that Hiei didn't know what to do when the punishment lifted. Yukina took care of that, showing him the little things she'd made during the days. It felt wrong to be sitting at the kitchen table, but Pearl had company. She had company a lot in the next week, leaving the twins to themselves in the kitchen mostly. The change in routine threw Hiei off track, and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't remember what he and Yukina had done in the past when they were together. Just being able to sit near her was enough for him, but she seemed determined to make up for lost time. He had no complaints when she pulled her chair close to his, showing him the picture book Pearl had gotten for her. She knew the names for every single one of the little animals in the book, but he didn't listen too carefully to what she was saying. His eyes were too busy darting from her bright eyes to the little smile that curved her lips. Somehow, seeing her so happy made his stomach twist.  
  
Hiei had a sudden urge to go back to the corner and he didn't know why. He'd spent so long wanting to do just what he was doing now. The thought of her being upset tore at him, but he couldn't watch her sweet smile any longer. He dropped his eyes. She noticed immediately, her soft voice trailing off. Though he didn't look up, he heard her shift in the chair, catching the curve of pale blue hair as she looked through the doorway into the living room. A moment later Hiei found himself tensing as arms wrapped around him. He tried to relax as well as he could, but he knew he'd failed when his sister's head ducked against his shoulder. Her quiet whisper sent a shiver down him, and he blinked wide red eyes at the table.  
  
"Hiei?" Yukina tightened her arms when the boy didn't answer, her face pressed closer to his neck. "Nissan...I'm scared."  
  
A tiny sound curled from his throat, and Hiei flinched, ducking his head. "G-gomen." The head lifted back a bit, but he couldn't look at her, his face hot with shame. He was trying to convince his arms to move when she shifted, wide pretty red eyes blinking at him.  
  
"It's not your fault," Yukina whispered, staring at Hiei's stricken face in confusion. She'd never seen that expression, not even when the man had drug him from her room so long ago. "I don't want you to get in more trouble."  
  
He didn't understand, but she didn't give him a chance to, soft hair pressing his chin when she hid her face against his chest. His hands moved automatically, surprising him a little when they curved around her in a warm hug. Had it really been so long since he'd done that? Yukina sighed, pressing close, and he found himself echoing the soft sound. This was right. Closing his eyes, he moved his head to rub his cheek against her soft hair. "Don't be scared," he whispered, his arms tightening just a bit. "I won't let anything hurt you."  
  
A small smile pulled at Yukina's lips, and she snuggled closer. Hiei was so warm. "I know you won't," she sighed. "I just feel cold when I see him...and that scares me. I don't know why I feel so cold."  
  
As if her words were ice, Hiei shivered, nearly pushing her away. "What...?" She moved back slowly, and he barely kept from shoving on her shoulders. "What did you say?" Red eyes blinked at him, almost wider than his. "When do you see him? Did he touch you?"  
  
The hands on her shoulders tightened, and Yukina gasped, staring at the strange fury on her brother's face. "Hiei...itai..."  
  
A blow to the stomach couldn't have hurt more than that soft whisper. Hiei's face turned white as he pulled his hands away, wrapping his arms over his chest. "Gomen!" The girl didn't speak, staring at him in visible confusion. His mouth opened, words trying to form, but he couldn't get them out. Pearl saved him, the concerned woman abruptly standing over them.  
  
"Yukina, are you all right?"  
  
The tone made Yukina pale, her hands clutching together over her chest as she looked up at the woman's dark eyes. That gaze was directed at Hiei, and the girl shook her head quickly. "I'm fine, really I am. We were just-"  
  
"Hiei. Go-"  
  
He didn't wait for the rest of the order, nearly lunging off the chair and darting out of the room. The only thing that kept him from running was the rule against it. Within seconds he was sitting in the living room, his knees drawn tight to his chest. He'd hurt her. He hadn't meant to. He'd never have hurt her on purpose, but he had. And that wasn't even the worst part. Hiei closed his eyes, ducking his face against his knees as he clenched his teeth. He'd left her all alone just because of the rules. The man only came home at night. Yukina shouldn't have even seen him. She never did anything wrong, so there was no reason for her to see him. But she had, and the man had scared her. His hands curled into claws, digging into his legs. It was his fault. How was he supposed to protect her when he hid in his room? A low growl eased through his teeth and he opened his eyes, red glare blurring the wall across from him. He wouldn't let anything hurt her. He'd promised he wouldn't. He was going to keep that promise no matter what.  
  
* * *  
TBC  
--notes--  
This fic will get angstier before it gets better (and it *will* get better) so anyone with a weak constitution should bail out now. Or maybe just skip the next part. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out how to write this part. Finally, I've decided to just write it and get it over with. I'll never get to Kurama if I don't get past this part.  
Category: Anime, Yu Yu Hakusho, vague X-men fusion, AU

**_Warnings:_** angst, child abuse, violence, vague ncs  
_Pairings:_ Hiei+Yukina/Y+H (not sexual), will be KuramaxHiei  
_Author:_ Arigatomina  
_Email:_ arigatoumina (a) hotmail . com  
_Archive:_ www . geocities . com / arigatomina

**Unwanted  
**  
_Part 2_

Hiei woke with a gasp, his heart pounding in his ears. He thought he'd heard something, Yukina scratching at his door or maybe crying out from downstairs. Now his heart was pointing too loudly for him to hear anything else.

He twisted out of bed with the intention of checking the hall, but he'd no sooner made it to his feet than he lurched back against the covers once more. He'd forgotten again. This was the second night he'd woken in pain and panicked, thinking it was Yukina's rather than his own. He'd also forgotten his door had a new lock on the outside.

His shoulders and behind his knees hurt the worst, so when he curled or rolled over in his sleep the pain woke him like a scream in the dark. The welts had only bled a little, and they didn't do more than sting during the day. He thought he should have been used to them. None of the punishments he'd gotten in the last few weeks had hurt nearly as bad as the first one. Compared to that one, this was nothing.

The man hadn't hit him very hard the first time, but he'd deserved that one.

As much as he'd been torn by his own treatment of Yukina, he'd had no idea Pearl was as angry about it as he was. And the man was even angrier. He had been awake, waiting for things to quiet down before he crept downstairs. So he didn't bother to feign sleep when his door was opened. And though he didn't know the source of it, he recognized the man's anger the moment he flicked on his bedroom light and closed the door behind him. Once he knew why he was being punished, he hadn't resisted or cried during it because he agreed with him.

He'd cried later, after it was over, with his burning back pressed tight against the wall. That had been the most painful because even being hit and screamed at for having hurt Yukina didn't make him feel any less guilty. He'd thought it would. Yukina hadn't blamed him. Even if she had, she'd never repay him for any hurt he caused her. So he'd thought maybe if the man did it for her, he'd feel better. Instead, he'd felt worse, like there was something wrong about wanting to be hurt so he wouldn't have to feel guilty anymore, like the guilt was the real punishment and he'd tried to get out of it.

Things had been different since then. Pearl stopped bringing people to the house and spent her time watching him, sending him out of the room if he so much as looked at Yukina. The man was there all the time now, and they yelled at each other when she made Hiei sit in the corner. He didn't think that was a real punishment, and she didn't think it was any of his business how she disciplined the children. Then they'd argue about other things, and Hiei knew without looking that Yukina was cringing in her chair, trying to be as small and quiet as possible until one of them stomped out of the room. If the man left the room first, he'd come upstairs and hit him later.

He hit him harder than he had that first time because Hiei struggled and bit and scratched, making sure the man had at least one cut or bruise by the time it was over. It wasn't like the first time because he hadn't done anything wrong, and even if he had, he knew getting hurt wouldn't make it better.

He'd thought things would continue that way until Pearl did what she kept threatening to do and left, taking Yukina with her. Then, three days ago, he'd come downstairs to find the man making breakfast for them.

The man had smiled and touched him, patting his head the same way he did Yukina's. And he'd smiled and talked nice to them all day as if they liked him. He let them sit together on the couch and smiled when Yukina fell asleep, curled up against Hiei's side with one hand holding tight to his baggy shirt. After dinner he'd turned the radio up loud and encouraged them to play, saying they didn't laugh often enough. Then he'd sent Yukina to bed and brought a long green stick up to Hiei's room and pinned him down while he hit him until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. Hiei had woken in the dark to find his door locked from the outside.

He'd been terrified then, with Yukina alone downstairs, unable to get to her even if she cried for him. But she smiled at him the next day.

When the man let him out the next morning, Yukina looked happy. She smiled and laughed and was so pretty it hurt to look at her. He knew nothing had happened because she was so happy just to be allowed near him again. Even when the man clapped them on the backs and the resulting pain made Hiei sick, Yukina didn't quite loose that radiant glow. She just fussed over his unusually weak stomach and took pleasure in being allowed to express her concern for him. She almost looked grateful to the man for giving her what Pearl had denied for so long, access to her brother. That scared Hiei more than having a lock on his door did.

The man had walked him to his room both nights since then. He cornered him and rubbed the welts like he wanted to make sure they still hurt. Hiei had an idea the moment they didn't hurt anymore, the man planned to do it again, so he didn't try to hide his pain.

It might have been the rubbing that made him wake up a few hours after falling asleep. He kept waking up in pain from having rolled or shifted the wrong way. He was sure he should have been used to it after the first night, but those stinging welts were different from the bruises he'd had after being hit with a belt. He didn't have to put pressure on them for the welts to hurt, he just had to touch them.

Hiei crept back onto his bed and held still while he waited for the stinging burn to go away. His heart had quieted enough for him to hear wind blowing against the house. Everything inside was silent.

After a while, he abandoned the bed. He stretched out on the floor where he'd be able to hear the man come up in the morning. The last time he'd slept with the man nearby, he'd found a lock on his door. Hiei didn't want to know what he might find if he was caught asleep again.

He'd just started to doze off when he heard it. There was a creak in the hall downstairs and the sound of a door being slowly opened. Hiei scrambled up and back to his bed, taking care to avoid the board near the closet that creaked when it was stepped on.

When he first woke, his panicked thought was to rush out the door. But he was wide awake now, too awake to forget the lock. He went to the window instead.

When he'd thought about the window, he'd worried that he wouldn't be able to open it, or that the man would hear him open it and come rushing upstairs to hit him until he fell asleep and couldn't do a thing to protect Yukina. Now he didn't care. If the man came upstairs, he'd scream for Yukina to run outside. Hiei was sure she'd do it and the man would be in too much of a hurry trying to catch her to hit Hiei like he had before. It had taken forever for him to fall asleep the last time, and Yukina could run really fast. Even if the man did hit him instead of chasing her, Yukina would be safely hidden by the time he was done, and Hiei could sneak out and find her when he woke up again.

Even though he'd thought about what he'd do, his throat tightened as he pushed the window up. And his arms trembled a little in relief when the window slid with a very quiet hiss of paint shavings on plastic. He hadn't thought as much about what he'd do if he got the window open without the man noticing.

There was plenty of room for him to crouch in the window, the heavy glass braced on his stinging shoulders. But the tree looked farther away than he remembered and the heavy wind was blowing the closest limbs so they swayed and whipped in and out of his reach. The grass below was a hazy black shadow and his legs felt tight and damp, burning raw where his tensed muscles had split some of the welts open. He hadn't counted on having to jump with his legs hurting like that. He'd never thought he'd have a chance to jump at all.

He waited until one of those limbs lashed close enough to touch and leapt for it. Stems and prickly nobs scraped at his arms, his weight tearing at the base of the branch. There was a crack that might have been lightning or even a gunshot. Then he was running barefoot around the house. He didn't remember falling. Something damp was trickling into his ear, but it didn't hurt. Nothing hurt and he was too glad to wonder about it. He wasn't worried about being quiet, either.

The man must have heard him coming because he was looking at the doorway when Hiei reached Yukina's room.

His sister whispered something he couldn't hear. The man was yelling, but Hiei didn't look at him. Yukina was crying, curled back against the wall and almost hidden behind her knees. She reached a shaking hand toward him, whispering again, and the man whipped around and hit her across the face.

Hiei flinched, his mind in a daze. He couldn't understand why anyone would hit Yukina. He'd never known why the man wanted to frighten her, but somehow he hadn't thought he'd actually planned to hurt her.

The man grabbed his arm, jerking him toward the door. Hiei gasped and struggled suddenly.

He felt as if he'd fallen asleep and woken up in a nightmare. The man had actually hit Yukina. And now he wanted Hiei out of the room so he could hurt her more.

Hiei tore his arm away, unaware of the bits of skin he left in the man's empty hand. Yukina was sobbing with one hand clutched over her bleeding mouth. Hiei's eyes widened and the room seemed to brighten until he could see the horrible contrast of the blood on her pale wrist.

Something reached for him. He felt it like a hot breeze on the back of his neck. He turned and ducked and _pushed_ himself forward, as hard as he could.

His fist seemed to sink into the man's skin so slowly he could feel the tiny hairs pressing into his knuckles. Then he hit bone and pain shot from his hand all the way to his neck. He was almost shocked that his arm hadn't shattered like glass and erupted out of his skin, it hurt so much.

The man lurched back with an expression Hiei had never seen him wear, shock and pain, and, for a split second, fear. They both knew if Hiei had struck him in the neck instead of the shoulder, he wouldn't be standing. Hiei glared at the mistake, but the man retaliated before he had a chance to try again.

He hit the floor with a choked cry that sounded more like an animal than him. He tried to push himself onto his back, but his elbow wouldn't work. And then the man was hitting him with his fists, each blow crushing him, burning behind his eyes and it _hurt_. But...it was him.

As long as it was him, the man wasn't paying attention to Yukina. She'd have a chance to get out.

He forced his eyes open, but the room was dark again, even darker than it should have been. Yukina was just a pale shadow near the window. He yelled for her to run...except...his voice wouldn't rise past a whisper. He said it again and the man jerked him over to scream in his face.

A fist sank into his stomach and he could almost feel it going right through him to crack against the floor. And he wondered, with everything swimming hurt and airless in his eyes, if the man's arm would shatter like his had.

He imagined his own voice, older, but his own, murmuring to him, telling him the man hadn't hit nearly as hard as he had, and that the man's bones could take the impact better. He heard himself give a faint grumble of annoyance at the condescending tone, but it faded off until he could hardly hear anything at all.

The man looked away from him, and Hiei realized Yukina was crying his name. He tried to focus on that, to open his eyes and see if she really was still there.

She should have run. He'd told her to run. Even if it had been a mere whisper, she must have heard him.

He couldn't move anymore. He was still awake, but he wouldn't be able to keep the man's attention on him. She had to have heard him and run, because if she hadn't...

His eyes eased open and light flooded into them. It was so sharp he thought his head would cleave in two. But he could hear her. Yukina was still in the room, only a few feet from him. He could see her tears glittering like gems, her hand shaking as she reached out for him.

She was calling his name...not brother, but Hiei. And it felt wrong, because Yukina never called him by his name...

The man was talking to her. One of his hands was still clenched on Hiei's shoulder, but the other was petting the edge of the bed as he looked over at her. He was smiling and murmuring, and his eyes were too wide, wild and crazed.

Hiei tried to push at him, anything to get his attention off Yukina, but his left arm wouldn't move and his right was pinned beneath the man's knee. His lips moved silently as he found his mind blank of any English words he could use.

All he could do was stare up at the man's profile and _will_ him to look away. The man had to look at _him_, to see _him_ and not Yukina. She couldn't get away so long as he could see her, with him so focused on her.

His head hurt so bad it was on fire. And it was bleeding... He could feel the blood creeping past his temples and into his hair.

The room darkened and he thought his eyes fell closed. But he could still see. The room was smoky and purple with shadows, but he could _see_ the man turning to look at him. He could see Yukina crying on the bed. Then the man was touching him and every little movement hurt like his skin was filled with broken glass.

Yukina shifted down to the edge of the bed, reaching toward them. But the man didn't glance back. The man couldn't see her because Hiei wouldn't _let_ _him_ see. He didn't understand how, but he knew Yukina was invisible, safe. He wouldn't let the man see anything but him.

The man turned him, crushing him against the floor with his weight. And still, Hiei could see everything around him. He didn't know what the man was doing to him, but it hurt inside now. A hand clutched at his face and fingers pushed into his mouth. He gasped and choked but didn't have the strength to bite.

Little whimpering sounds reached his ear minutes before he realized they were coming from himself. He felt as if he were dying and the only reason his heart kept beating was because he couldn't hold the man's attention if he were dead...

A forceful push brought starbursts of pain exploding behind his eyes. He cried and choked on it as his sight went dim. Yukina was screaming now, screaming his name, so loudly he was sure the man would hear her.

He couldn't open his eyes, but he turned his head and saw her anyway. There was blood swimming around her like colored water on a dark window. He didn't understand that, or how he could see her at all. His eyes were _closed_. He knew they were because he could feel tears burning behind his eyelids.

Yukina cringed, her cries cut off suddenly. Hiei focused on her again and he could swear they were looking right at each other, despite his eyes being closed. Only...Yukina's eyes were wrong and her face wasn't terrified and desperate. Her face was dead, expressionless. And her eyes, usually so expressive and warm, were a cold and glowing white that bordered on yellow.

Hiei felt as if he were looking at her through a long tunnel, watching as she drifted further and further away. It was so cold and...wrong...where she was. And dark...she seemed to be glowing, but it was so dark he could barely see her.

She reached out again, her arm rigid, fingers spread in a deliberate way that Hiei found horrifying. Her hand curled slowly into a claw, gripping the air, and Hiei felt himself break violently away. He didn't understand. All he knew was that he couldn't watch her. He just _couldn't. _He couldn't look at her face when her hand snapped shut in a tight fist. The vengeance and hate gleaming in her eyes...he couldn't bear the guilt and horror at seeing her like that. And so he closed himself off and let the dark and the cold take him away.

**_.-.  
TBC_**

_Notes:_ There are flashbacks in Gmen that explain what happen immediately after this. I'll summarize them in the next part, but mostly it'll be about Hiei and Kurama. I think the ncs in this part is vague enough to be hosted on ffnet. If anyone disagrees, let me know and I'll edit out a paragraph or two and put the unedited version on my site.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Notes:_ Anyone still reading this? I had a sudden urge to write Kurama Hiei interaction and this fic came to mind. Weird jump, but when inspiration strikes I drop everything and write.

**Unwanted**

_Part 3_

A pitch black sky loomed over the building, clouds too dark to see congealing in the dry air and blotting out the stars. He could see those clouds if he wanted. One thought, one twinge as the eye focused, and he could see every detail of those clouds, even through them to the stars. The sight was tinted with a grayish green and the view was...different. He could see behind him without turning his head. He could look down, _focus_, and track the progress of the hard insect-like creature creeping over the sand at the edge of the lot.

Yukina might have known the name of that creature. Hiei had never seen anything like it.

He tugged the view back, pulled it inward, and directed it down through the cement at his feet. There were people moving in the halls below. He could see them, too. They were genderless shadows only a little paler than the dead structures around them. He didn't know how to make his focus any sharper than that. For now.

The voice in his head had told him it was too soon to fully use what was available to him. The potential was there, but his body wasn't mature enough to handle it.

His head throbbed, a sharper twinge, and the vision wavered and died. He'd seen enough, anyway.

He was standing on the roof of a hospital in a place he'd never been before. The land was dry and barren past the buildings, despite how cool the night wind felt.

Sand. A desert? He'd never seen a map. He didn't need a map to know the house was far from here. What little green spotted the landscape looked nothing like the trees and grass he'd known in the past. Everything out there was dangerous somehow. It would be more dangerous in the town, though. He was glad for the moonless night. Hopefully no one would see him jump down from the roof. He knew he could jump. Just like he'd done from his window, only this time he wouldn't forget how he'd landed.

He'd thought he could walk out the front doors at first, but he wasn't strong enough. There was a limit to how many people he could control. Four. The doctor he'd forced to remove the stitches when the man had walked in to find him tearing the eye open. The man he'd stolen the coat and weapon from, who'd been standing outside his room with a gun, a sword on his hip, and a silver ensigna on his hat. The old man with the cart of sheets, who'd spotted him in the hall. And the woman behind the desk who'd looked Yukina up on her computer and confirmed everything the voice had said.

None of them would remember him. Even when others eventually went into his room and saw the empty bed, those four would be sure they saw him lying there, still sleeping. As long as no one else saw him, no one would know he was gone. Just like he'd convinced the man that Yukina didn't exist, he'd controlled those four, letting them see only what he wanted them to see.

The voice was right. He didn't need to know how he did it, or where the power came from. He'd known immediately that he _could_. That was enough. For now.

He'd woken in a dream, a dark dream where someone spoke to him in his own voice. His voice, but deeper somehow, more powerful, as if he were older than he was.

He hadn't decided yet if he actually believed that voice was him, the part of him he'd forgotten when he and Yukina first found themselves alone in the trailers with no memories of their past. Maybe something had happened back then and he'd locked part of himself away. Maybe the pain and the horror of seeing Yukina kill had woken that part of him back up. Or maybe it had always been awake, watching through his eyes and waiting, waiting for him to sleep so deeply it would be able to talk to him.

Hiei hadn't decided what he thought of it. It was enough that he knew the voice was real, as real as the eye.

He'd seen the eye in the mirror when he'd torn the stitches wide enough to glimpse what they were holding closed. He'd seen it better after he'd used it to force the doctor to remove those stitches for him. It was a real eye, as wide as his natural eyes. But it was dark blue, no eyelashes, and it glowed when he used it to do things. Purple, when he'd controlled the doctor. Pale green, when he'd used it to see things his normal eyes couldn't see. And bloody red, when he'd used it too much. The edges bled until the eye filled over and leaked down his face. Colored water on a window.

Now he knew why Yukina had snapped in the end, so horrified by the sight of him. They'd locked eyes. Only his had been a single bloody eye staring out of the center of his forehead.

Yukina was gone. The voice had told him that, of course. Someone had taken her away from him while he slept. The voice had taunted him with that, urging him to wake up before they took her so far away he'd never find her. Because Hiei wouldn't be able to find her the way the voice had before.

How had it found her before? With the eye? And before what? Before he'd forgotten everything in his past but Yukina and the dangers lurking outside their trailers?

He didn't like that voice. Whether it was a part of him or not, he didn't like it. It knew things it refused to explain. It spoke of Yukina as if it had as much right as Hiei to say her name. And it had promised him that he would be stronger, strong enough to protect Yukina - no, enough to protect anyone he wanted to protect. But it hadn't told him when he would get that strength or how he'd gained power his body was too weak to use. It hadn't explained to him what the point was, why it was better to wake up and try again, rather than admitting defeat and letting it all go.

What was the point of finding Yukina now, when he wasn't strong enough to protect her? He was stronger, but not so much that things wouldn't simply happen the same way again. And that would hurt her again. What was the point?

He could die again for her. It felt like he'd died. If that voice hadn't annoyed him so much he woke up just to get away, he thought he might have stayed dead. He could do it again, die in her place again, but what was the point of it? Seeing him in that room had hurt her more than anything the man could have done to her. She'd killed. For him. If he did it again, she would do it again. They were the same. She wouldn't let him be hurt any more than he would let her be hurt. They'd only hurt themselves, hurt each other trying to protect each other. Pointless.

Hiei didn't know how she'd done it. The voice hadn't explained beyond a knowing mutter about females maturing faster. Something must have woken in her like it had in him, something stronger, colder, merciless. And using that had broken her. Yukina didn't remember anything, not even him.

The voice had warned him of that. No, the voice had _taunted him _with that, as if anything it said could hurt him more than his own guilt. Hiei didn't want to believe it, but the woman with the computer had told him the same thing.

Amnesia, she'd called it. They'd found Yukina asleep and when she'd woken up, she hadn't remembered her own name. The woman said they'd told her what her name was and nothing more. They'd taken her somewhere, far away, so she'd grow up without ever having to remember. Hiei had made the woman see him as a doctor, so she'd spoken to him as if they were friends.

It was the kind thing to do, she'd said, with a sad sigh. They gave her a new chance at life, a fresh start. She'd never be connected to the horrible things in her past. If God was willing, the boy would forget it all, too, if he ever came out of his coma. Such terrible goings on.

Hiei had left the woman then. Her records didn't name the people who'd taken Yukina, or tell where they'd gone with her. All she'd known was that it was a nice man with a daughter Yukina's age. She hadn't actually met the man, but the nurses had been talking about him.

A handsome man, a bit old, but very polite. He must have come from money, the way he'd whisked that poor bewildered girl away from those vultures. Waiting to question her? Honestly. The only crime there was against those kids, so it didn't matter how that monster had died. And the way they'd found the wife? Horrible, terrible goings on.

Hiei learned that Yukina had been taken from the hospital over a week ago. He didn't know how he could have slept for so long. It was no wonder the voice had been so frustrated and urgent. She could be anywhere by now. The most important thing to the voice was finding her. Hiei agreed to a point.

He had to know she was safe. He just wasn't sure if he wanted her to know he'd found her. If she saw him, she might remember. Things could happen the same way again. She was caring, but Hiei didn't think she'd care so much as to kill for a stranger. He'd find her as a stranger. It was better that way.

He didn't know how to find her. He wasn't strong enough to do anything if he did find her. He'd think about finding her later. What the woman said made him think people would come looking for him when they discovered he was gone. They must have thought he'd killed the man. He wouldn't talk if they found him, but he'd probably be punished, or sent to a new house where he was watched all the time. Getting away was the first thing.

Hiei crouched on the edge of the building. The buildings were strange to him, too close to each other, but not close enough to jump from one roof to the next. His legs ached. The long sleep must have been good for his body, but moving around still hurt. The thought of landing on the hard ground so far below should have scared him a lot more than that jump from the window had. It didn't.

He was more worried about his clothes blowing off than he was about how he'd land. He'd woken in some sort of gown that opened in the back. He'd taken another of them and put it on backwards over the first. And the dark coat he'd taken from the man outside his room was long enough to hide what he was wearing. He still felt naked. He wouldn't jump until he was sure no one was within sight of him, but he still didn't like the idea of his clothes blowing up around his arms.

He'd just shaken off the annoyance when something hit him. He inhaled it in a dark wave so sudden he choked and stopped breathing. His chest burned. That eye opened and darted away from him, showing him things his glazed eyes couldn't see. Fear and pain, helpless and broken, and so important to him that he would have cried out if he could. Yukina was being tortured. He was sure of it. Except it wasn't her. It didn't matter that he didn't understand, that he had no one else so important to him he'd feel their pain like this. There was no time. He knew it. He was already too late.

The jump was nothing. He hit the ground running and filed the memory of the landing away in the back of his mind where it wouldn't surprise and distract him. He was going too fast, using too much. The voice had warned him that he wasn't ready, his body couldn't handle doing so much. It didn't matter. He thought he'd break down later, lose more days in a sleep too deep to dream, and that voice would nag at him for being reckless. That was fine. If there was a later, then that was fine. Now was more important than later and now he needed to go faster.

He couldn't see the things around him. That eye had flown off ahead of him, the vision blurring on the edges but sharp and clear in the center. He followed it because it knew where he had to go. He hit nothing as he ran, and he never wondered if someone would see him. He just knew no one would, no one he could help. He was just another shadow flitting in the dark.

Time blurred just like his surroundings. It took him forever to get there. That sharp burst of pain had deepened like muffled sobs that hurt so much more. It throbbed and pulsed instead of stabbing. Lingered like a slow death. So much worse. And he felt heady, light and weightless. He'd used too much. Or maybe he was just running so fast he'd forgotten he was only human and had to breathe. He couldn't feel the wind on his face, or his feet hitting the ground. He didn't know if he was still breathing. As long as he kept running, he didn't care if he wasn't.

There were two words in the back of his head, whispered over and over faster than a person could speak. That voice had told him he wouldn't hear it anymore once he woke up. He still wondered if it were the one whispering.

_'Don't die. Don't die. Don't die.'_

He wondered if it were talking to him, or if it was his own mind talking to the person behind that pain. The lighter he felt, the deeper the pain. It was fading, resigned, and swallowing him whole.

_'If he gives up before I get there, I'll follow just so I can kill him myself.'_

The thought came sharp and fast, more annoyed than worried. It made no sense, but it was his own thought. Hiei stumbled in surprise. He stopped so suddenly the coat whipped around him and his eyes couldn't focus nearly as quickly as that third one did. His gaze dropped, centered on wide, tearfilled eyes. Then the vision shifted back, returned to its rightful place, and he took in the scene. They were torturing him. He was hurting, helpless, and so close to giving up. In a moment all of the desperate fear that had driven him died. Fury took its place.

Minutes that felt like seconds passed in a blink. Hiei stood in a daze. There was a sword in his hand. It felt right, reassuring and right, as if he hadn't just used one for the very first time. He didn't remember picking it up, but he knew the memory was stored away in the back of his mind. Gift of that annoying voice - it had promised he'd never forget anything ever again. Blood was dripping off the blade of the sword. He would have wiped it off, but the blade had cracked in a few places. It hadn't been made to cut through bone. He dropped it and the sound of it clinking against the concrete hurt his ears.

Those frightened eyes were still watching him. He felt it. He forced his body into motion, taking a few steps until he was crouched amid the bloody mess he'd made.

"Will you live?" asked Hiei.

He hadn't meant to ask that. He didn't know why he had. He didn't know why he had so much trouble looking at the person he'd saved, either. Silence answered him and he forced himself to meet those eyes. Vivid green. Glazed with fear and tears. They hurt to look at. It was wrong to see him cry. Just like Yukina.

"Don't cry," Hiei said quietly. His voice sounded strained and his throat burned as if he'd been screaming for hours. He swallowed and kept his gaze latched onto those eyes.

The boy was watching him with an expression he didn't recognize. When he spoke, it was with a whisper every bit as rough as his own. It was a strong voice, suspicious but strong, and the boy wiped the back of his hand over his eyes as he spoke.

"Did they send you?"

"No," said Hiei. He hadn't been sent by anyone, so it didn't matter who 'they' were.

The boy shifted painfully without looking at him. He was battered and thin, but taller than him. His clothes were torn, and he was tugging at them, trying to cover himself up. Hiei blinked and stepped back. The boy was practically naked and it was rude to do nothing but stare. He shrugged off the stolen coat. It would probably fit the boy better, anyway. It had been long enough to nearly trail the ground on him.

"Here," said Hiei, offering the coat.

The boy shot him a sharp look and reached for it. His hand stopped halfway and he stared at Hiei, looking him over from his head to his feet and lingering on his bare legs.

"You're bleeding," the boy said, in a quiet voice.

"You're bleeding worse," Hiei frowned.

"That's true," the boy murmured. He took the coat and pulled it on with a grimace. "Not all of this is mine, though. If you hadn't dismembered them, I could have taken some of their clothes. And you got blood in my hair."

Hiei's frown darkened into a scowl. He was glad the boy wasn't crying anymore, but he didn't know what to make of him. He wasn't about to apologize to him when he'd been the one doing him a favor.

"It's red," Hiei muttered, scowling at the boy's dark red hair. "No one will notice."

"I'll notice," the boy said calmly. He buttoned the coat from the top down and then turned sober eyes on Hiei. "How old are you?"

The question made Hiei's head hurt. He was standing a few inches from the upper half of a leg, blood seeping between his toes, and the boy wanted to know how old he was.

"Nine," said Hiei. "Why? It's not safe here and you're hurt. If you can stand, I'll help you get home."

"Home is the least safe place for me to be," the boy said, still sounding far too calm. "Even if I wanted to go home, I doubt a nine-year-old would be much help in getting me back to Japan."

Hiei curled his toes in the muck he was standing in. He wanted to sit down somewhere dry and free of body parts. He'd never seen a dead person before, and he'd already pushed away the memory of having killed them - it could sit in the back of his mind as long as it wanted. They'd deserved it and that was all he needed to know. Now the sight of it was starting to make him sick to his stomach. Part of that might have been the way his head was pounding, or how his chest still burned from running so far without breathing. Whatever the reason, the boy was acting too strange and he couldn't just leave him there.

"We can talk somewhere else," Hiei frowned. "Can you stand up? Do you need a doctor?"

"Is there a hospital near here?" the boy asked in response. "I'd be killing myself if I went to one, but you clearly escaped from one yourself. What are you doing here? Why are you so intent on helping me?"

"Why are you talking like that?" Hiei snapped. "You were crying a minute ago and now you're sitting there talking like nothing happened. What's wrong with you?"

Calm green eyes stared up at him, and Hiei had a sudden urge to take it back. Those eyes were calm, but they were also so sad they bordered on devastated. Wounded and broken, and if he wanted to pretend like he wasn't, then Hiei should let him. He didn't want to feel the hurt that had driven him here again. It couldn't have just disappeared, no one could feel that bad and make it all go away in a minute. Hiei should be grateful he was forcing it down and hiding it away. He didn't want to feel the brunt of anyone's pain again, but especially not this boy's. Because it hurt like Yukina's had. And he didn't know how to handle that.

Hiei dropped his eyes. "I'm-"

"I'm coping," the boy interrupted. "I've read about things like this, but I've never experienced it firsthand. I have two options available to me. I can break down, or I can ignore the issue and cope until I'm able to handle it better. I chose the latter."

Hiei looked at him funny for a second before dropping his eyes again. It wasn't just his calm and seemingly careless attitude. It was the way the boy spoke. He sounded...too smart for his age, or at least much smarter than any of the adults Hiei had seen. And he used too many words Hiei had never heard before. He frowned and looked back up.

"You're from Japan?" asked Hiei. The boy nodded, and he let out a sigh of relief. He switched into Japanese. "I haven't learned much English. I was supposed to start school a year ago, but it never happened."

"I wondered about the accent," the boy admitted, tilting his head with a wry smile.

This time, Hiei didn't let the seemingly careless behavior bother him. He gave a nod and stepped closer.

"I can't stay still long," he said quickly. "It's not safe for you here, either, if people come looking for them."

"It'll be morning before anyone comes here," said the boy. "They were the only group in this area, ordered to do a thorough all-night search. That's why they were taking their time with me."

The boy's eyes darkened and he took a hitching breath, like he were swallowing the urge to cry or gag. Hiei grimaced. He wanted out of here. Now. But he didn't know how far he'd be able to go before he collapsed. If he had to drag the boy along with him, it wouldn't be far at all.

"I can help you," Hiei said, a little too quickly. "If you can walk, I can help you get somewhere else. But I can't carry you. I ran too far to get here. I don't have much left."

That third eye wouldn't open. His head throbbed when he tried to make it. Besides how tired he was, he also felt sick to his stomach. He wanted to throw up, and he had an idea that wouldn't help any. It wasn't his stomach making him feel like this. And he didn't think it was the blood, either. He'd felt that pain from the boy earlier. This growing sickness, revulsion, was probably coming from him, too. In that case, staying here definitely wouldn't help.

The boy sighed and pushed himself to his feet. His face twisted in discomfort, and he picked his way out of the bloody area without looking down. "I can walk anywhere," he said to Hiei, "as long as it's away from them and the people they work for. The problem is, I don't know where to go, and since I didn't see any hospitals around here, I doubt you know the area any better than I do. It's not as if we could ask for directions."

"Somewhere to hide," Hiei frowned. "Anywhere. I can find a better place later."

"With that eye?" asked the boy, his tone curious and interested.

Hiei gave a slow nod. "It found you before I knew what was happening."

It had led him here. And maybe, if he were closer to Yukina, it would lead him to her as well. The problem was distance, then, and his own weakness. The voice was right. His body just wasn't ready to be doing these things. He hated to admit it, but the first step he took for the street outside the alley left him wavering. That redhaired boy gave a quiet laugh that reminded him of bells.

"You offered to help me and you can barely walk straight," the boy teased softly. He pulled one of Hiei's arms up over his shoulders so they were walking together. "I'll find someplace to hide for now. After you rest, you can tell me about this eye of yours. I found my talent very early, but even I've never heard of mutants as young and deadly as you."

Hiei glared a little at the help, but he didn't argue with it. His vision was every bit as blurry as it had been when he was running. He'd thought that was because he was moving so fast. Now he could barely make out the darker ground from the dark air in front of him.

"Mutants?" asked Hiei.

"Mutants," the boy said again, using the english word this time. He let out another of those whisper soft laughs when Hiei frowned in confusion. "I'll explain that later, in exchange for your story. I'll get around to thanking you, too, later. I didn't think I'd have a later, and I'm not quite used to it yet."

Hiei didn't respond. He'd taken for granted that they would have time to talk later. Maybe he shouldn't have. It was just...it didn't seem right that he could have made it to the boy only to have someone find them, separate them, and send them away somewhere. He was too weak right now to protect them if someone attacked, and besides keeping them walking in a straight line, the boy didn't seem much stronger at the moment. They were more likely to be caught than to find a good place to hide. And still, he knew they would. The voice had said he'd find someone to help him get stronger. He didn't like that voice, but it had been right about everything so far. He couldn't think of any other reason he'd have been drawn to the boy from so far away when they'd never even met.

"What's your name?" asked Hiei. "I'm Hiei."

"What a bold name," the boy smiled, that softly teasing note back in his tone. "It suits you. My name _was_ Shuuichi, but he's dead now. He died in a car accident recently. There are a lot of people in Japan who would be quite upset to find me using his name."

"His?' Hiei frowned. "Or yours?"

"His," the boy said firmly. "He's dead, after all."

"So what's _your_ name," Hiei asked. He was actually scowling a little now. He didn't want to argue with how the boy chose to 'cope', but this banter was annoying when he couldn't even see straight. It wasn't as if he'd asked the boy a troubling question. Just his name.

"I haven't decided yet," the boy said back, as if he didn't notice Hiei's annoyance. "What's your favorite mountain in Japan, after Hiei?"

Hiei didn't even try to understand that question. He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know of _any_ Japanese mountains. I've never been there. I don't know anyone who has."

"You know me," smiled the boy. "But that means you don't even know the significance of your own name. So much room to tease, but you're tired, so I shouldn't pick at you."

"Good," Hiei sniffed. "We'll have a better chance hiding if we're quiet."

"Oh, don't misunderstand. I didn't say I _wouldn't_ pick at you anymore," the boy said brightly. "I just admitted that I _shouldn't_."

Hiei glared so hard that his eyes crossed. He might have growled a little under his breath. But he wasn't really angry. It felt normal somehow, to have the boy playing merry at his expense. Much better than that first sight of him lain out and devastated. Anything was better than that.

"You talk too much," Hiei muttered.

"I didn't before," the boy admitted. "Shuuichi was a certified genius, very quiet and bookish. He was more of a scientist than a boy, never the sort who'd get into trouble or risk his neck teasing little mountains so handy with a sword. No, Kurama has very little in common with him."

Hiei was too tired for this, but he had to ask because the name was strangely familiar to him, "Who's Kurama?"

"That's me," the boy smiled. "It's not my favorite mountain when it comes to naming purposes, but I heard Hiei was taken."

"You're strange," Hiei stated.

"I'm aware of that," Kurama nodded soberly. "I talk more to plants than I ever did to humans. That's something else I'll have to change if I want to make a new identity for myself. I might as well start practicing with you."

Hiei blinked dully. "Practicing what?"

"Talking more, of course."

Hiei shot him a sharp look. "You already talk too much."

"Really?" asked Kurama, as if he were both pleased and surprised. "Beginner's luck, I'm sure, but thank you all the same."

Hiei glowered tiredly. Maybe the voice was wrong. Even if it was right, it hadn't said anything about finding a partner who would talk his ear off when anyone else would have been silent and hurting. At least his stomach wasn't clenching itself into knots anymore. The more Kurama talked, the less it bothered him. In that case, he'd just have to get used to it. As annoying as the boy was, he still preferred him like this. His eyes were still far too dark, but at least he was trying. He hadn't given up after all.

_**.-.**_

**_TBC_**

Notes: Next part may be more from Kurama's pov, need to get some background info on him, his age, talents, and definitely a lot more dialogue. Keep in mind that they're children - Kurama's only a few years older than Hiei here. He talks like he's an adult because he's way too smart for his age, and he's used to being the perfect son. Canon YYH. ;p


End file.
